The American Hotel Foundation�s (AHF) Annual Scholarship Grant Program will administer the $5,000 scholarship. To be eligible, a student must be enrolled in one of the 80 schools currently affiliated with this grant program.

�AAA is delighted to establish this award,� said Michael Petrone, director, AAA Tourism Information Development. �Investing in students creates opportunities to ensure a brighter future for the hospitality industry.�

Each year AAA will designate a different school to select the candidate on behalf of AHF. Scholarship recipients, known as AAA Five Diamond Scholars, will be chosen based on academic performance, hospitality work experience, extracurricular involvement and financial need. In its inaugural year, the 2001 AAA Five Diamond Scholar will be selected by Florida State University in Tallahassee, Fla. FSU students interested in this award should contact the dean of the School of Hospitality Administration at FSU.

�This is a scholarship that should have a significant impact for many future hoteliers,� said Douglas G. Viehland, CAE, AHF president. AHF is the only educational dollar-dispensing organization of the American Hotel & Motel Association. Over the last 40 years, it has provided funding for industry research, granted scholarships to hospitality management students and assisted in enhancing public awareness of the lodging industry.

As North America�s largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides its 43 million members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1902, the not-for-profit, fully tax-paying AAA has been leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers.